Summarizing

ENROLL

oDiscuss as a table: oWhat was wrong with my weekend story?

oWhat could I have done to make it better?

WHAT IS A SUMMARY?

oDefinition: Taking a larger selection of text and reducing it to the main ideas worth remembering.

o You might call it the “gist” or the “key ideas”.

oNo details

PURPOSE OF SUMMARIZINGo It helps us determine essential ideas

and the most important details that support them.

o It enables us to focus on key words and phrases of a text that are worth noting and remembering.

HOW TO WRITE A SUMMARY

o Just remember SWBSTo Somebody: Identify the main

character and important details about them.

o Wanted: Describe the character’s goal.

o But: Describe the character’s problem or conflict.

o So: How did the character try to solve the conflict?

o Then: Describe the resolution of the conflict.

EXAMPLE FROM “FINDING NEMO”:Someb

odyWanted But So Then

Marlin, a clown fish whose wife dies and leaves behind only one son, Nemo.

Wanted to protect Nemo from everything that could ever harm him.

Nemo gets frustrated and decides not to listen to Marlin when told not to touch the butt (boat), resulting in him getting taken by a scuba diver.

Marlin has to go on a long journey to try to find Nemo, who is stuck in a fish tank at a Dentist’s office waiting to be given to the Dentist’s niece, Darla.

When all hope seems lost, Nemo escapes from the fish tank and is found by Marlin.Marlin learns that you cannot protect children from everything.

YOU TRY! SUMMARIZE THE STORY SEVENTH GRADE

Somebody

Wanted But So Then

.

Somebody

Wanted But So Then

Victor is about to begin his first day of 7th grade.

He is eager to impress a girl named Teresa and make her ‘his girl’.

Victor tried to impress her by lying and saying he knew French. When his French teacher tried to speak to him in the foreign language, Victor embarrassed himself in front of the class.

Victor’s teacher realized he was trying to impress a girl and didn’t tell Teresa that he didn’t know French.

Teresa asks Victor to tutor her in French, so he decided to check out French books from the library.

o When writers emphasize or share some of their own personal opinions

o Subjective = Some facts and Some opinions

o Often found in:o personal essayso autobiographieso editorial section of

newspapers where journalists express their opinions about news events.

o When writers include only facts and figures.

o Objective = Only facts

(No opinions)

o The purpose of an objective piece of writing is to inform the readers.

o Often found in:o Textbookso Expository paperso Research/ news articles

Subjective Objective

OBJECTIVE SUMMARIESo When writing an objective summary, it is

important to write only facts.o If you are unsure if your writing is factual,

ask yourself: “Can I find support in the text backs up these facts?”

o Do not include thoughts or opinions of the book.

o Avoid biased languageo For example, writing, “Harry Potter is a talented

wizard who is beginning his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” leads the reader to think Harry is talented. Believing Harry is talented is an opinion.

o Instead, write only provable facts, such as: “Harry Potter is a wizard who is beginning his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry”.

SUBJECTIVE OR OBJECTIVE?Directions: For each statement, write “O” for objective or “S” for subjective.

1. Frost Junior High had the highest MAP growth amongst all of the Junior Highs in the district.

2. The Hunger Games is the best book series since Harry Potter.

3. Sparty is the mascot at Frost.

Now, change any subjective statements to make them objective.